Knitting-machine.



F. B. WILDMAN. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 12, 1908.

1,071,979. Patented Sept 2, 1913.

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KNITTING IVIAGHXNE.

specification or Letters Patent.

ltate ntedl Slept. 2, NW3.

Applicationflled; November 12, 1908. Serial No. M32317.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRAN ii 13. Niobium,citizen of the United States, residing at Norristown, Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-lllachines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for making loose courses in the fabric forthe purpose of transferring, and my object is to insure certainty ofoperation, prevent rupture or undue strain of the yarn, while at thesame time rendering it possible to increase the length of the loops ofthe loose course.

In carrying out my invention I adjust the needle dial vertically whenthe loose course is to be formed and I prefer to effect this adjustmentof the dial simultaneously with the adjustment of the drawing'down camof the cylinder needles, and through connections forming an extension ofthe operating devices of the said needle cam.

My invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings l igure 1 is a side view of the invention;Fig. 2 is a plan view of'a detail part; Fig. 3 is a side view of amodification.

in these drawings the needle cylinder is in ic e a and the dial at 2.The latter is supported by the post or stem 3 extending up through thecross piece 4: of the knitting head, wherein it isheld by the nut 53 onthe screw threaded portion (3, of the said stem. The construction thusfar described is well known in the art, it being the practice to adjustthe needle dial vertically by turning the nut 5, thus raising orlowering the post or stem 3 as the case is required, this turning of thenut being effected by hand.

in carrying out my present invention the stem or post carrying the dialis raised and lowered automatically through pattern controlled means. Iprefer to accomplish this automatic control through connections leadingfrom the same devices which control the drawing down cam of the cylinderneedles for making the loose course. These devices are well known butwill be briefly described. They consist of the incline 7 connected by apost 8, with the drawing-down cam 9. The

post together with the cam is forced down at the proper moment by ascrew 10 adJustably mounted in an arm 11 pinned to a rock shaft 12,jounaled in the cam cylinder 13. The rock shaft is turned one Way by anarm 14; thereon being pressed upon by a disk or wheel 15 on a shaft 16.This shaft is movable vertically, being controlled by pattern means in awell known manner not shown, so as to be either in line with said arm lior with the arm 17 on a supplemental rock shaft 18 also journaled in thecam cylinder. These rock shafts are geared together in a known manner asindicated by the gearing at it), 20, and when one arm, say that marked li, strikes the wheel 15 the rock shaft l2 will be turned so as to causethe screw 10 to engage the inclined head 7 of the post 8 and depress thecam S) for making the loops of the loose course. W hen the disk or wheel15 is lowered into the plane of the arm 17 the said arm will strike thedisk, turn the shaft 18 and through the gearing 20, 1!) the rock shaft12 will be returned to normal position, thus withdrawing the incline 7and allowing the cam 9 to rise, to proceed with the regular courses.

It is to be understood that the disk or wheel 15 is simply movedvertically into the plane of first one and then the other of the arms14, 17. This disk or wheel is fixed relatively, however, to the rotarymovement of the knitting'head and this rotary movement brings the armsaround to strike the disk or wheel when it is adjusted into the properplane.

As above stated, my present; invention concerns the automatic adjustmentvertically of the needle dial in order to form the loose courses andthis adjustment is effected through the rock shaft 12, which, as shown,is extended vertically and is provided at its upper end with an arm 21connected bya link 22 to an arm 23 extending from a cam 2a encirclingthe post or stem 3. The in clined surface 25 ofthis cam cooperates withthe incline 26 on the boss 27 of the cross piece 4. The stem of the.post 6 is splincd as at 27 to this boss so that while permitted verticalmovement it is prevented from having rotary movement. The nut 5 issecured rigidly to the stem 3 by a set screw 28. When now the rock shaft12 is operated the cam 24, by the connection described, will be turnedand its incline will ride up the/incline of the boss 27, and as the saidcam on its unner side engages the under side of the nut 5 it will raisethe said Elli filo

nut together with the post or stem 6 and thus raise the needle dial forthe formation of the long loops of the loose courses and this actionwill take place simultaneously with the depression of the incline 7 andthe drawing-down cam of the cylinder needles. It will be understood thatthe cam 24: is provided with two inclines located diametrically oppositeto each other, one of these being indicated in dotted lines.

The effect of the adjustment of the needle dial. for making loosecourses will be well understood by those skilled in the art, it beingpossible thereby to form loops of maximum length without straining orrupturing the yarn.

I provide an adjustment for yarns of different gage and for this purposethe arm 23 of the cam 24:v is provided with a slot 29concentric to thecenter of thepost 3 and this receives the screw or bolt which con- 7nects the said arm with the link 22. By loosening this screw or bolt thecam 24 may be set in different positions about the post so as to securegreater or less lifting efi'ects from the same amount of movement'of therock shaft 12-.

It will also be understood that the needle dial may be accuratelyadjusted by hand in its relation to the needle cylinder by loosening theset screw 28 and turning the nut 5, which working on the screw thread 6will raise or lower the needle dial and having determined the properposition the set screw 28 will be turned to fix the parts and then theautomatic adjustment vertically may take place as above described.

I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction andarrangement ,of parts described, as other means may be employed foraccomplishing the same result. For instance as shown in Fig. 3 to cam24* may cooperate with a collar 3d urrounding the novi e're post 3, saidcollar having a screw Sladjustable vertically therethrough and in,relation to the cam incline 25, a jam nut 32 being employed to hold thescrew in adjusted position. By adjusting the screw'vertically more orless lifting effect will be secured in connection with the incline 25.This collar is keyed to the post 3 and the post is held against rotationin the manner above described.-

I do not wish to limit myself to the simultaneous operation of thestitch changing devices and the adjustment of the needle dial, as thecylinder cam may be operated slightly in advance of the dial.

I claim as my invention:-

1. In combination with the dial a cylinder, the drawing-down cam, meansfor operating the' said cam automatically for producing the loosecourses and means for simultaneously adjusting the needle dial forproducing said loose course, said cam operating means vand dialadjusting means being interconnected substantially as described.

2. In combination in a rib knitting machine, an adjustable draw-down camfor the cylinder needles, a cam for lifting the dial post, a rock shaftconnected with the said lifting cam, said rock shaft extendingvertically from the cam carrier of the cylinder cam, an arm on said rockshaft for adjusting the draw-down cam of the cylinder, an arm on saidrock shaft to operate the same, a disk on the frame to contactwvith saidarm, a second rock shaft geared to the first and an arm thereon to beoperated by the disk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK B. WILDMAN.

Witnesses:

E. It. ROBERTS, I. M. Srmrrs.

